Category: interview

We aim to democratize quality education and diagnostics at the fingertips of every child, says Mr. Sandeep Kavety, Head of Product, ConveGenius Insights

We at Business News This Week (BNTW) thank Mr. Sandeep Kavety, Head of Product, ConveGenius Insights., for this exclusive interview opportunity. Mr. Sandeep discussed his vision for India’s future educational system and on many more aspects with Mr. Neel Achary, Chief Editor, BNTW.

BNTW: Can you tell us about the services by ConveGenius Insights (CGI)?

Mr. Sandeep Kavety (SK): We assess the impact of education interventions with the help of standardized assessments. In 2013, we started with a sense of curiosity around tactical, rigorous methods to assess the quality of schools in India. Since then, we have come a long way. We now provide a range of assessment services including designing impact assessment studies, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of interventions, conducting diagnostic assessments, data collection for education assessments and many more.

BNTW: What is the mission of CGI?

SK: We at CGI believe that every child, irrespective of the background they come from, is born with the potential to learn. We are on a mission to make quality assessments accessible and affordable so that every parent, teacher, school and system can have diagnostic data on learning levels so that they can use it to improve the learning outcomes of children. Through our work in assessments and expertise in measurement, we aim to enhance this journey of every child by helping the key stakeholders in the system understand and bridge the learning gaps.

BNTW: What types of tests and evaluations do you do and at what level? Whether it is at an individual level or institutional?

SK: Our offerings are both at an institutional level and at an individual level. Since our larger focus is bringing in a systemic change through quality education assessments, our focus has been institution-level assessments that evaluate the programmatic impact of interventions that guide systems/policymakers for better decision-making in education.

BNTW: How do these evaluations benefit educational institutions, parents, or teachers?

SK: Impact evaluations form a very critical aspect of any intervention. In the context of education, they are even more important because they can enable us to course correct and mirror what the realities are. These impact evaluations can help every stakeholder part of the system, helping
– parents diagnose learning levels of their child,
– teachers to understand the distribution of students at different proficiencies,
– institutions to build a program, solicit feedback for existing programs, or set targets to maximize the impact

BNTW: Do you propose suggestions based on the results in addition to doing tests and evaluations?

SK: Since, we have collected data points from millions of students across the country and globally, evaluating impact of 10s of interventions, we do understand why certain results arise. 

BNTW: How many schools have you worked with and in how many locations? Are there any that you can think of?

SK: We have assessed over 15,000 schools through field assessments and over 30,000 schools through digital assessments across 16 states Indian states. CGI has also set its footprint in UAE and African region.

BNTW: How do you think data analysis will aid in the development of new educational standards in India?

SK: There is enough evidence from across the globe that, modern measurement techniques such as Item Response Theory can enhance the ability to diagnose student learning. Moving away from traditional approaches to these techniques can not just make the results of our assessments robust, but also guide the system in the right direction.

BNTW: Can you tell us about your accomplishments?

SK CGI has been able to leverage its expertise in measurement science to solve the complexities that exist in Indian education by building a proprietary scale that can measure the learning outcomes of students across the country on a single scale. Just the way, how we measure height on a height scale.

– CGI is the only organization, which has integrated an ORAL assessment and written assessment on a single measurement scale.

– CGI has been instrumental in the Saksham Haryana project enabling stakeholders from the grassroot level to think in the lines of competencies which is a great shift in mindset.

– CGI is the outcome evaluator of world’s largest education development impact bond which is in its last year of evaluation.

BNTW: What is your vision for India’s future educational system?

SK: No child has to be left behind because of the background they come from. With the power of assessments and technology, we aim to democratize quality education and diagnostics at the fingertips of every child.

BNTW: What are your upcoming projects, and can you give us any insight into your ambitions for the future?

SK: COVID-19 has impacted the education system drastically. There is a need for state transformation programs that are data-driven. CGI aims to partner with policymakers and state systems, to transform state education through large-scale assessments.

About Sandeep Kavety: 

Sandeeep Kavety works towards guiding organizations to solve problems strategically & structure work methods with cost-effective solutions. He holds over 9 years of experience in Project Management in Software & K10 education with a proven track record in Measuring Outcomes. He specializes in measuring learning outcomes and evaluating longitudinal quasi-experimental educational interventions & RCTs based on methodologies like item response theory (IRT) & Rasch model. Currently, he is leading multiple Large-Scale Education Assessment projects, measuring learning outcomes of students across the country to help policymakers in transforming the education system in the country. He worked with multiple high-stakes large-scale K-10 assessment projects across different geographies of India working with various stakeholders including state government officials, service providers, NGOs, and funding organizations. Previously, he was associated with Deloitte and Accenture.

About ConveGenius Insights 

ConveGenius Insights (CGI) (Ex Gray Matters India) believe in the power of data and assessments to unlock the potential of millions of children and make them future-ready and services including – Impact Assessment, Early Childhood Assessment & All India Critical Test. It measures learning outcomes in a reliable, valid and standardized manner to enable data-driven decision-making for all stakeholders in education. And create access and affordability for assessments so that every parent, teacher, school and system can have diagnostic data on learning levels and use it to improve outcomes. CGI has worked with 15 states & more than 10,000 schools and executed in 1,000,000 test administrations. They are working reluctantly to establish academic standards and performance benchmarks that are inclusive of all students in the country so that progress in education can be measured with equity.

In Conversation with Mr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, Founder & MD, Boys And Machines

Business News This Week (BNTW) Team thanks Mr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, Founder & Managing Director, Boys And Machines Pvt. Ltd., (Boys And Machines) for an exclusive interview opportunity. Mr. Siddharth Chaturvedi (SC), discussed various aspects associated with the buying patterns of customers during covid, market trends, Pan India service offerings, prospective expansion proposals, and furthermore with our Chief Editor, Neel Achary.

BNTW: It is a passion-driven business, how visualize your b-plan ahead? 

SC:  As the customers are willing to splurge on aspirational items and spending has increased significantly since Covid. We, at Boys and Machines, intend to leverage this fact and have ambitious growth aspirations by aggressively expanding our footprint across India.

 How customers from other states can check the cars available in the showroom?

SC: We’re dedicated to giving our customers the very best of our services with Pan India reach. We have our entire inventory available on your website which can be accessed by anyone across the country. They can come and check the vehicle in the nearest showroom. In case, the vehicle is not in that city, we transport the vehicle to that city once the booking amount for the vehicle is paid.

BNTW: Apart from Gurugram, how is the response from Kolkata, Mumbai & Hyderabad?   

SC:  

The response has been really good from all the four cities. People have started living in present because of this they have started splurging money on aspirational products.

When it comes to Mumbai, it’s a market that welcomes everything, such as a daily drivable luxury sedan or a high demand for convertibles. The city enjoys good weather to drive sports cars with the top down, and there is a steady ongoing demand for the latest SUV, as Mumbai customers want to enjoy and go for long drives with friends and family to nearby scenic destinations in Maharashtra. 

Kolkata has always been a good market for buying vehicles because the WB RTO offers a 5-year tax policy, which saves a lot of clients’ money on taxes. And this gives them the option to rotate vehicles frequently by paying a short-term tax for 5 years, which allows dealers like us to buy at very competitive prices and offer to our customers with the registration of their choice, which definitely acts as a plus point for customers as they feel comfortable driving their respective state registered vehicles. 

Hyderabad has always been the largest market for all supercars, so yes, it allows us to offer an exotic range of vehicles to the Hyderabad market. 

BNTW: Planning to launch in any other states in India? 

SC: In terms of physical space, we plan to open new showrooms in three more cities which are Ahmedabad, Indore, and Chandigarh in the following months. In addition, the company aims to open workshops in locations where it already has a presence to provide clients with more convenient ownership and service experience. With this, we intend to connect with customers and provide them with an experience rather than just selling cars. 

BNTW: Is there a boom in the luxury used-car segment in India? 

SC: There has been a boom in the used car segment in India. The Indian used car market is expected to reach a size of over 70 lakh vehicles by 2025-26, growing at around 12-14 percent over the next few years. The luxury pre-owned car market is no different. We noticed a spike in demand Pan-India. Within a year from the start, we were able to expand our reach throughout India, opening four stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. Along with this, we opened our first after-sales service centre in Gurugram. Despite the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, we have been able to clock good sales since the beginning of our operations. It’s been a good start with learnings. We intend to grow our brand and reach new heights. 

BNTW: What is your USP? 

SC: Boys and Machines focuses on providing the highest quality pre-owned luxury cars at the most competitive prices. Our competitive pricing and superior quality provide us with a competitive advantage over our competitors. Aside from that, our continual process development, digitization, and robust physical presence around the country pave the way for an exponential growth curve. We strive to not only meet but also exceed our customers’ expectations. 

BNTW: What are the facilities you are giving to your customers?  

SC: We are entirely committed to providing our customers with the highest quality vehicles at the most competitive prices. We have a dedicated workshop in Gurgaon to address all the requirements. We are not just selling cars, but also helping our clients with a hassle-free ownership experience. For customers who aren’t based out of Delhi, we provide doorstep service to them for hassle-free ownership.  

BNTW: What are the quality checks you follow while purchasing luxury cars from the owner?  

SC: We do the complete due diligence so as to assure quality cars to be bought and sold. Boys And Machines strictly don’t deal with accidental cars as we get the history checked from the authorized dealership. Even if the bumper has been changed, we don’t purchase that car. Moreover, any car offered by Boys and Machines comes with a complete background check which makes sure that there is no litigation case on the car or previous vehicle owner. 

BNTW: Tell us about your passion for cars, how it started? (both Mr.Siddharth & Mr. Akash)

SC: Siddharth has been a bike racer in the past and has raced in JK Tyre superbike competition. He has also undertaken training on Formula 3 cars in Abu Dhabi. Siddharth has been an owner of supercars and exotic cars since quite a few years. At present, he owns India’s fastest Ferrari 488GTB that is capable of producing 900 HP. 

Akash has had a fascination with automobiles since he was a child. His love and enthusiasm for vehicles began with his father, whom he has always looked up to as a car racer and lover of speed. With a growing interest in cars, he engaged himself in automobile-related TV shows, magazines, and movies. Watching drag race or fancy cars being ripped on the streets was a treat to the eyes. Nothing excites him more than a long drive. After discovering his enthusiasm for cars, he joined a highly experienced sales team and worked for 4.5 years as Head Tech Sales-India at one of India’s largest luxury car dealerships, dealing in the sales and purchase of exotic luxury cars. 

BNTW: Your message to our readers, if they wish to purchase cars from you?

SC: I want our customers to have faith in us. We are entirely committed to providing them with the highest quality vehicles at the most competitive prices. We are not only here to sell them cars, but also to provide them with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’re on a mission to build long-term relationships with our customers and partner with them by combining high reliability and ethical ideals with excellent service and satisfaction.

Mr. Siddharth Chaturvedi is an ex-racer who is passionate about supercars and the automobile industry. His interest in the area forced him to quit his regular job and focus on extensive research in the automobile sector which led to the initiation of Boys And Machines.

BOYS AND MACHINES established in the year 2020 is dedicated to offering best-in-class services in pre-owned luxury cars with Pan India reach, focusing on delivering quality cars at the best market price. The company through the specialized team is involved in offering a comprehensive range of services spanning from sale/purchase/after sale/yearly maintenance/insurance renewal, financing facility and many more.

Exclusive Interview with Mr. Swapnil Dharmadhikari, Founder and Director, Splashgain Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Business News This Week (BNTW) Team thanks Mr. Swapnil Dharmadhikari, Founder and Director, Splashgain Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd., for this interview opportunity. Mr. Swapnil discussed how technological interventions and the hybrid learning culture are anticipated to bring major transformation in the educational sector with Neel Achary, Chief Editor, BNTW.

BNTW: Your objective behind starting Splashgain Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd. (Splashgain)?

Mr. Swapnil Dharmadhikari (SD): Splashgain was incorporated to create a splash in the ocean of education. Since 2009, our digital transformation products have been delivering great value to our customers, both in academics and across corporate organizations. The vision of the Splashgain team is to be a global leader in innovative IT products and solutions that effectively assist students and institutes, thus adding value and simplifying the education processes. The core values that enable us to be the most preferred partner for all our stakeholders are-
● Integrity: All our actions are inspired by Integrity.
● Passion: Our Team is empowered. We are passionate about what we do and have fun doing it.
● Execution: We walk our talk.
● Candor: We do not compromise on Product, Service Quality, and our Value System.
● Care: We care for our Stakeholders and always make every effort to delight them

BNTW: What are the major solutions you developed for educational institutions?

SD: With a massive shift in the education system, a hybrid learning culture is becoming a new reality. As a company, we offer a host of specially curated services conducted and monitored with our cutting-edge technology platforms. We are currently conducting the following types of exams for different institutions:
 School Exams (Yearly/ Semester wise/ Unit Tests) where students attempt the exam with camera monitoring

• School Olympiad Exams: Olympiad exams for various subjects like mathematics and English where a certificate is awarded for successful completion
• University Exams: Semester/Yearly exams for higher education, (Graduate/ undergraduate-level) academic assessments
• Viva voce: Corporates and education institutes conduct oral/viva assessments to check communication skills and domain knowledge.
• Entrance Exams: Entrance test of university, higher education institute for Ph.D., MBA admissions
• Online Test Series: Private coaching institutes conducting practice tests to prepare students for competitive exams
• Video Interviews: Corporates and Education institutes are using this technique to conduct bulk video interviews simultaneously.

BNTW: What is the impact of Covid in the education sector and how does technology help to minimize the impact?

• The industry has gone through a digital transformation. With technology becoming the central player, the education sector has willingly or unwillingly opened its arms to greater possibilities.
• We believe that camera assessment was relatively new up until last year. Still, in the current times, we feel that the education industry understands the importance of such processes when everyone is studying remotely. Hence, they are more open to using new concepts to make a student’s life easier.
• The most satisfactory part happens to be those who long to make the digital shift but was undecided on the timing, had to make those changes and those who adopted this digital change, they are convinced that this is the way forward.

BNTW: Are you providing technology solutions to your clients in 15 countries, do they belong to the education sector alone?

SD:

• Being a global Edtech player, Splashgain has worked with more than 300 customers across 15 countries. With the advent of the pandemic and hybrid becoming the new normal, the acceleration in technology adoption is making these institutions understand the importance and need for Edtech platforms.
• Education institutes are changing their pedagogy/approach for learning and bringing in flexibility in education. They are reinventing education delivery, assessment and evaluation processes with the help of technology and innovation.
• More than 5 million students have easily used Splashgain’s assessment system(s). Teachers/ examiners/ evaluators in the multiples of lakhs use digital assessment methodologies for objective and subjective evaluations.
• Splashgain & ‘s AI algorithm-driven assessments are deployed by many schools, groups of institutes, universities, various private and Government certification exam authorities. In this new era, institutes and large-scale universities will now need a full-time CIO to adapt to the fast changes in the education sector.
• Online education is becoming the new normal with tangibility, and enhanced quality education has become a top priority. In the Higher Education(HE) space, Splashgain is contributing to universities like Mumbai University, Gujarat University, Alliance University, Dayanand Sagar University, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Rohtak, IIITs and IIITMs. Apart from the vocational universities such as Tata Institute of Social Sciences(TISS), large school chains like Poddar Education Network, Global Indian International schools, Delhi Public School, have already embraced the new ways of assessing their students. And yes, we are contributing to the success of large corporate entities as well as MNCs in their L&D initiatives, Recruitment, and various Employee/Vendor Surveys.
• We work with a set of well-known corporate clients to bolster their candidate assessment and upskilling paths.

BNTW: What are the solutions you developed implementing AI technologies?

SD: Eklavvya is an easy system of Plug-and-Play SaaS platform to make the academic examination and hiring assessment process a lot more reliable, accurate and scalable. It can get tedious and overwhelming for institutions or larger enterprises to manually conduct every interview and examination process.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) proctoring systems has been taking precedence within the market in the last few years. Millions of assessments have been conducted across the globe using the Eklavvya platform. We can say proudly that our features and services are unmatched in digital assessments and proctoring domains.

BNTW: Your take/statement on digital adoption in India, what measures need to boost the digital adoption?

SD: India leads digital adoption (across various aspects in our daily lives) thanks to the proliferation of 4G internet and a range of budget-friendly accessibility devices like phones and laptops. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption across many age groups (including the young and old). This has proved a boon for learning to continue unhindered during the lockdowns. But boosting digital adoption cannot cure all challenges without knowing the right way to bring digital transformation. 

Products and technology have to understand the actual pain points of digital learning and solve them for all stakeholders. Not every child in India has access to a digital device. We think the Government can play a role in nudging state machinery and corporates towards ensuring inclusion for every student into the digital ecosystem.

BNTW: How are you simplifying the education process?

SD: We strive to solve every proctoring problem that institutions and enterprises face today during the online assessment process. Eklavvya is a smart AI proctoring tool that is efficient while being an extremely cost-effective choice for assessment, evaluation and assessment monitoring purposes. 

Eklavva is recognized as the most accurate AI proctoring system with a 99.96% accuracy in the results. We have made the system simple yet extremely capable of handling large workloads and anyone with a primary digital device.

BNTW: Online education is booming, how is your company prepared to come up with the most innovative solutions to meet the demand?

SD:

• In the coming days, the educational sector and the Government are all set to invest an enormous budget in technical aspects of education. This technological intervention will undoubtedly change the way educational institutes and universities operate.
• The students and parents are going to prefer the technical way of learning, in the coming time. Studying from home’s safety is becoming feasible for the students as they do not need to travel from home to the schools or institutes anymore.
• The educational institutes also appreciate the live classrooms as the relevant adaptability is a simple process to follow.
• As the students and educationists seem to be all caught up with the new learning techniques, the number of enrolments for live classes is increasing day by day. When it’s about managing the examination process, the institutes confidently adopt the proctored exam solutions to secure the whole exam conduction.
• Online Webinars, Video Conferences for discussions, and Online Streaming silently replace traditional classroom sessions, office meetings and informal in-person discussions.
• Eventually, the reliance on technology is increasing rapidly.
• A considerable number of academic units are planning to offer Online Courses for the traditionally traditional curriculum they used to teach.
• This technological adoption can reduce a lot of time and travel from the day-to-day lives of students and teachers.

BNTW: Technology is not easy in the education sector, what is your message to budding entrepreneurs and startups working in digital transformation?

SD: We believe that real impact is the product of focus and consistency. Sometimes, challenges can seem like they are insurmountable. If your value and belief system stay focused on the real challenge, then hard work over time pays off. Digital transformation seems easier on paper than when you get to it. This is true for a sector like education, which has stayed constant for a century before the pandemic. Adoption and customer appreciation will come with time. I think all budding entrepreneurs can positively influence how future generations will learn.

About Splashgain Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd.:

Since its inception in 2009, Splashgain Technologies’ digital transformation products are delivering great value to its customers. They are India’s education technology platform company working on innovative platforms targeted for the education and corporate segment. They have been working with many reputed organizations for the last many years. They have been serving clients across 15+ countries around the world and expanding rapidly. They have been growing 300%+ YOY since 2019. They have more than 300 happy customers globally. They filed a path-breaking EdTech Patent in India and USA and are continuing the same path to file more patents. They have expertise in Remote Proctoring, AI Proctoring, Digital Assessments. Splashgain Technology Solutions aims to be a globally renowned provider of innovative IT products and solutions that effectively assist students and institutes thus adding value and simplifying education processes. They stand tall on 3 pillars –

• Customized: Offers sophisticated customization through API integration that can meet the requirements both in the academic and organization settings to create a smooth, frictionless adoption of largely manual processes. Users can adapt existing content into the platform and smoothly conduct hundreds of assessments simultaneously cutting downtime.
• Competencies: Splashgain has built a PaaS platform that goes a step beyond just assessment to include automation and digitization of processes across the learner journey
• Connect: This is a highly scalable platform that connects job seekers and recruiters, learners and academies quickly and efficiently. It is the platform of its kind to bridge the assessment gap in both education and workplaces realms equally effectively.

Exclusive Interview with Shefali Jhalani, Founder, Sharisa India

Shefali Jhalani, Founder of Sharisa India exclusively discuss with Neel Achary, Editor of Business News Week. She discuss as the major aspects including the COVID during this interview.

What made you start Sharisa India?

Being a girl from a business family, I have always been interested in exploring and understanding the roots of everything I do or come across. Studying and working in the top-tier cities of India, I was exposed to different types of businesses and markets. It was then that I started to realize I would want to take my childhood fascination for makeup to the next level. And fortunately for me, while pursuing my Masters’s degree in London, I had a chance to understand the beauty industry on a global level.

Having sensitive skin all my life, I had to be conscious about the products I use. While I enjoy experimenting with all sorts of beauty products from varied brands, the ingredients started playing a major deciding factor while selecting the products.

 I started researching about what really goes in these makeup products to have a better understanding and that is when I perceived, finding products that are vegan, cruelty-free, skincare infused, consciously made, and most importantly suitable for each and everyone, was quite a task.

So in 2020, I decided to launch an impactful beauty brand, which can serve one’s beauty and skincare needs.

I started looking out for formulators who would help me get the formulation I desired for. I was very firm on getting my products manufactured in India as I am all in for #VocalforLocal. And I can proudly say, Sharisa India is Made in India.

Till now, the journey has been a roller coaster ride, but I am more than grateful since all our highs and lows have been great learning for us.

Sharisa is more than a brand for me, it is a manifestation of the love that I share for Makeup, Skincare and Nature, blended together.

Can you tell us about your partnership with INDHA?

Apart from curating a conscious product, I was very firm on associating Sharisa India with a Non-Profit organization in order to give back to society.

We have partnered with INDHA to support the vision of empowering women and creating livelihood opportunities for them.

INDHA is an independent societal enterprise powered by Literacy India, a non-profit organization since 1996. INDHA is a socially responsible initiative known to generate sustainable employment and empowerment opportunities for village artisans.

Every product that a consumer purchase, comes in sustainable cloth packaging that is handcrafted by a woman artisan. Being a woman, it feels gratifying to associate and support other women of the society.

When consumer purchases from Sharisa India, they don’t just buy a makeup product; but also give a ray of hope, a source of livelihood to a rural artisan.

In how many states so far your product reach in India through e-commerce?

I am so grateful we have reached almost every state in the country through our customers. What makes me super proud of our product reach is that it has successfully been delivered even to remote areas such as Renwal, Vesu, Bhiwandi, Saran, Muzzafarnagar.

Recently we also introduced International Shipping. As we aim to reach each and every beauty enthusiast around the world.

Where have your products been available in the market for consumers to buy?

Our Timeless Matte Liquid Lipsticks are readily available on our website Sharisaindia.com Other than that our products are also available to shop on Amazon India, Dufa Marketplace, LBB Shop, Step Set Go, Paavo India, Purplle, and we are also working on making them available on other online platforms.

Furthermore, we have also placed our products in a few beauty salons in Jaipur.

Since the time we have launched, we have also displayed our products at a few pop-ups such as Funky Fish, Hidden Treasures, S&S Trunkshow for consumers to get the look and feel of our lipsticks before making the purchase in person.

We did not venture into the retail market or get into offline stores yet, given the current situation around the world. But, we are determined in creating a strong digital presence before taking the next steps.

Any complements that you received from your clients?

It’s a feel-good factor to get feedback from the consumers.

We get compliments very often as Sharisa India is a sustainable brand. Nowadays consumers are well aware and they appreciate it if they get to use products that create no harm to the planet or the living beings and are made consciously.

Our audience admires the formulation as it’s long-lasting and lightweight.

Also, our customers cherish the creamy matte and highly pigmented lipsticks which give enough hydration.

We get acknowledged for our shade range which caters to all skin tones and skin types and is multi-functional at the same time.

Sharisa India’s packaging catches every individual’s eye and they praise us for how we have created an unboxing experience for everyone and associated with an NGO for a part of our packaging.

What are your future business plans?

With Sharisa, my passion for clean beauty with a mission to make luxury beauty products more accessible comes alive.

Being a makeup enthusiast and an advocate for clean beauty myself, I wanted to come up with a makeup brand featuring the kind of products that I would like to use as a consumer myself.

Through Sharisa, the vision is to create a line of multifunctional products that are both nourishing and beautifying, are infused with nourishing ingredients that provide skin-friendly application.

Futuristically, the aim is to have this Made in India brand renowned globally.

Being a founder is quite tedious task, how you manage yourself while promoting your business?

Warren Buffett once said, “In the world of business, the people who are most successful are those who are doing what they love”.

In business, every day is different with new challenges and learnings, but it gets interesting knowing that I am doing what I am most passionate about.

I won’t say it is an easy task to be a founder of a brand but having the right set of people around and the zeal to make things happen, makes the process smooth.

As Sharisa India is a fairly new brand, I have to be involved in all the activities with the team which gives me a better understanding and a great opportunity to be a part from start to finish.

With every passing day, we are achieving the little milestones and coming closer to making this dream into a reality.

Please tell our readers about the PETA certification?

“People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” acknowledges beauty brands by providing a PETA-approved certification for those who do not test their products on animals or allow tests on animals for any of the ingredients, formulations, or products anywhere in the world.

Before launching our products we went through the process of approvals and got Sharisa India to become a part of this program as we got the certification from PETA under the category, Global animal test-free, and vegan.

How your products are best for the customers? Please mention the standard features of your products.

Sharisa India is delighted to commence the journey into the world of beauty with ‘Timeless Matte Liquid Lipstick.’

A lightweight and long-lasting lipstick with an organic twist that moisturizes the lips from within while delivering a flawless matte look. With a texture that is creamy, it glides on the lips smoothly while offering a full-coverage pigment that lasts long.

Our hero ingredient, Sea Buckthorn Oil helms our ship and has everything your skin demands; hydration, elasticity, cell regeneration, moisturization, and acne prevention.

Composed of Jojoba Butter that heals the cracks on the skin and moisturizes the lips and prevents dryness. Our Timeless Matte Lipstick also comprises Vitamin E which prevents oxidation. With an eclectic blend of finest ingredients, it’s here to befriend your skin.

With a colour palette of 12 Evergreen Shades to choose from, our lipsticks have a vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free formula.

Sharisa’s lipstick is a multi-functional product. Use it on your lips or dab it on your cheeks as a blush, or on your eyelids as a subtly tinted eye shadow.

Why is it exceptional? 

• Infused with sea buckthorn oil
• Can be used on lips, eyes, and cheeks
• Lightweight and Long-lasting
• Made in India

Your message to startups, entrepreneurs, and founders?

“As a founder, I have to be a learning and a growing founder”. It is all about learning new skills and finding new ways to run a successful business.

Furthermore, I am a firm believer that if you want to make something happen, you have to invest in learning and be open to new opportunities.

Nothing in life comes easy, all you have to do is believe in yourself and trust the process. Being consistent and hard-working will make it all possible.

About:

Sharisa stands for fierceness. For the one who is brave enough to redefine the existing notion of beauty, every day.

Among multiple definitions of beauty, we choose yours. Following this philosophy, Sharisa India aims to become everyone’s beautiful. We, together, are on a quest to unearth the Sharisa way of living.

This way of living is fueled by our love for nature, luxury, and exclusivity.

Our makeup products are infused with essential oils which keep you close to your roots and closer to your natural skin. Our hero ingredient, Sea Buckthorn Oil helms our ship and has everything your skin demands; hydration, elasticity, cell regeneration, moisturization, and acne prevention. With an eclectic blend of finest ingredients, we are here to befriend your skin. In other words, become your ‘second skin’ because we believe that skincare and makeup go hand in hand.

Our utmost priority is to offer quality ingredients that not only protect your skin but give you the confidence to wear makeup fearlessly. Backed by research and real consumer insights, our products tend to all your skin needs and skin shades.

Sharisa India is our stepping stone to build a bias-free world.

Our belief in the power of exclusivity and representation reflects in our range of products that have no age bar, no gender bar, no race bar, and no ethnicity bar. We aim to revolutionize the way makeup has been perceived over the years because we reckon that makeup is for anyone who loves themselves.

We firmly believe that a sustainable future is the only way of well-being today, hence our products are PETA certified which means we are vegan and animal test-free.

Exclusive Interview with Tim Jameson, owner of Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts and creator of PyroJam

Pic: Tim Jameson (right) from Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts

We thank Tim Jameson, owner of Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts and creator of PyroJam, for this interview opportunity. Tim discussed various business aspects while interacting with Rochelle Brandvein, President, Brandvein Aaranson Public Relations, and Neel Achary, Editor, Business News This Week.

What made you want to start Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts?

I worked for several companies throughout my career, and I noticed they treated smaller companies differently from the larger clients. I wanted to change that thinking, especially since it’s the smaller businesses who make up the bulk of the revenue within this industry. I founded Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts in 2013 with one goal in mind: to produce the most amazing fireworks shows for all clients regardless of their size or their budget.

I created PyroJam this year because I have always wanted to produce and shoot my own fireworks festival…and this one is going to be one-of-a-kind! We will feature an International Fireworks Competition that showcases pyrotechnicians from around the world plus we are working with a fireworks display choreography software company to host this virtual design competition. PyroJam combines more than two hours of fireworks, three live bands, a designated Kids Zone, and so much more. It is definitely going to be a party you don’t want to miss!

Have you ever produced big fireworks shows before and, if so, how was the experience?

IPC designed and fired two Grand Public Displays for the Pyrotechnic Guild International, which is the largest fireworks convention in the U.S. and one of the biggest fireworks conventions in the world. Each show used over 100 different firing positions with product costs alone of more than $50,000. It was a wonderful experience to show what IPC is capable of both on the greatest stage possible and in front of the world’s most talented fireworks professionals.

What is the size of the clients you work with?

We work with a wide range of clientele – from private individuals and city/county municipalities to professional sports teams and amusement parks. The smallest clients we work with are typically for wedding or private displays, which begin in the $3,000 budget range. One of our largest clients is Sea World Entertainment, which has a net worth of $4.89 billion.

Do you have any plans for expanding your services or business?

In 2021, IPC expanded into the close proximity/special effects side of our industry, which focuses on producing special effects and full displays in very tight locations that don’t have a lot of room for fireworks. This includes places like rooftops and scoreboards at sporting venues, as well as downtown areas where space is limited. This sector involves extremely strict safety regulations when working with explosives, and we look forward to growing this service over the next year.

Do you provide services across the U.S.?

IPC is based in Southern Maryland, so we primarily work with clients in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. We have produced displays throughout the country including Wyoming, Missouri, Iowa, and Michigan.

What major services do you currently offer?

We produce two types of fireworks displays: traditional and pyromusicals – or “concerts in the sky” – which combine fireworks and music timed down to the 1/100^th of a second for complete synchronization. We also focus on our newer close proximity/special effects business based upon the increased demand for these types of shows.

What safety measures do you take when launching fireworks?

IPC adheres to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards for firework and pyrotechnic display operation. All our productions are electronically fired, so this eliminates the need for our crew to be in the discharge area during a display. We take safety seriously as should anyone working with and around fireworks. Since our inception, IPC has had a perfect safety rating.

Discuss big contracts you achieved during COVID.

2020 was a “lost year” for all companies in the fireworks industry since very few shows were produced. 2021 saw a definite boost in business as clients added displays in hopes of both enticing – and prolonging – their customer’s visit to their venues. Our entertainment helped increase their overall revenues and aided in their recovery from a very trying 2020. The largest contract we had in 2021 was for more than 50 outdoor displays and over 50 special effects productions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg amusement and theme park.

What is your message to entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders?

Owning your very own business is one of the most satisfying journeys you can accomplish in your lifetime. The ability to control your own destiny, as well as help others support their families, is a wonderful feeling…but it does not come without sacrifice. There is no shortcut when it comes to building your business since you must be willing to work harder than all your competitors to survive and flourish.

Another key to creating a successful business: build an excellent team and surround yourself with individuals who excel at all the things you do not. Remember to treat them well, pay them fairly, and commend them for a job well done when it is deserved. In time you will find you not only have built a business, but you have also created an extension of your family. The right team will treat your business as their own and always do their best on behalf of your company.

About Tim Jameson

Tim Jameson is the owner of Innovative Pyrotechnic Concepts, a Southern Maryland pyrotechnics company that produces more than 200 shows per year ranging from festivals and private events to amusement parks and professional sports teams in the Southern Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Greater DC areas. IPC is an award-winning national competitor in the pyro world known for their traditional fireworks shows and customer choreographed pyromusical displays.

Tim is also the creator of PyroJam, a day-into-night festival featuring live musical entertainment, interactive children’s activities, and more than two hours of fireworks by some of the world’s top pyrotechnic choreographers. The inaugural event – branded a “Rock the Day/Shock the Night” experience– will be held this Memorial Day weekend and is presented by IPC.

Exclusive Interview with Mayank Jain, Co-Founder, Scalenut

We thank Mayank Jain, Co-founder, Scalenut for this interview opportunity. Scalenut is a Seed-Funded AI-enabled content intelligence Saas platform for on-demand business services. He discussed various aspects of content intelligence, implementation of AI solutions, and digital adoption while interacting with Neel Achary, Editor of Business News This Week.

Q. The objective behind starting Scalenut?

At Scalenut, we strive to assist users in producing great content at scale. Our goal was to design the ideal mix of technical solutions to assist our users in producing research-based, high-quality content.

In December 2020, we began developing the managed services marketplace. We worked with hundreds of companies all over the world there. We started our SaaS solution in September of 2021 both for our end users and freelancers. The idea is to provide the correct set of technology tools to creators and businesses to make the process considerably more efficient.

What we have here is a cutting-edge AI-powered platform for content discovery and development. As we go forward, we intend to continue building the right technology solutions for creators.

Q. What is the USP of Scalenut?

I would say, we are different from other players in two ways. One is that our content creation technology is backed by an intelligence and research module. Typically, you would find a lot of plain vanilla AI writing solutions. However, they don’t provide any intelligence about what kind of content one should create. Our’s is a research-backed content creation platform for long-form writing.

Second, we have two other pillars in the form of a short-form AI writing toolkit and managed marketplace. Our managed marketplace is designed to serve both businesses and creators. Using our technology, they are able to scale content creation seamlessly.

Q. How many customers across the globe have received your services?

We are loved by over 10000+ users from 50+ different countries.

Q. How is leveraging technology – AI – redefining content intelligence?

AI is rapidly evolving in this space. Content creation is never easy. One has to discover and research what kind of content would work best for their audience and then create engaging content. Distribution remains a problem as well. AI and other technologies are helping in all these legs of content creation. As we move ahead, AI will redefine pretty much everything around content. It’s still very early and users are still discovering the power of AI. We anticipate, over the next few years, AI will become mainstream in the content creation process.

Q. How does your service help writers in content development?

Our SEO Assistant helps writers do the content research. Within a click of a button, creators get powerful insights from the top-ranking URLs and help them create a perfect content outline. This is backed by our proprietary research algorithms. In addition, SEO Assistant helps creators to do social listening on the go. That helps them cover key questions users are trying to get answers to while they are searching on search engines.

Second, we have several layers of applications that help write entire content using AI. While it’s extremely important to guide AI with the right inputs, it shortens the entire creation process by 10x.

Q. Are your solutions suitable for startups?

Absolutely, Scalenut is loved by start-ups across the globe. What we are trying to do is provide the technology and talent solutions at the right price point. Startups face issues in scaling content. They have to hire multiple people or rely on agencies. This becomes very difficult to scale. With Scalenut, they are able to scale content using very limited resources and at a fraction of the cost.

Q. How do you manage diversified customers/clients from India?

We are a global organization. For our SaaS platform, less than 10% of the users are from India. While for our Marketplace, most of the users are from India.

While customers are diversified, at the end of the day they are all looking for solutions to scale content creation. Our platform is industry agnostic and that helps businesses of all industries and sizes to create content.

Q. Compared to the inception in 2020, what is the current business size?

We get very good traffic from across the world. As I had mentioned, we are loved by over 10000+ users from 50+ countries. On the marketplace, we have worked with over 200+ businesses including some of the large enterprises in India and abroad.

Q. Is there any impact of COVID on your business?

Not really. Rather, this has helped this industry. As the pace of digital transformation is growing, content creation is growing. So, we are in a good place.

Q. What is your insight on content intelligence and content marketing in years to come?

Lots of technology enhancements are happening in this space. We feel that over the next 5 years, technology will make the process much simpler. Identifying what kind of content to create, to actually create content will become much more efficient. We hope to play a big role in this at a global level.

About Scalenut

Scalenut is a Seed-Funded AI-enabled content intelligence Saas platform for on-demand business services. At Scalenut, businesses can find various services at fixed prices, with pre-defined workflows & milestones, and delivered by top freelancers. Currently, the platform is offering fully managed content development services.
When said SaaS-enabled, Scalenut provides pre-defined requirements and standardized requirements. This helps freelancers in producing high-quality content. Also, end customers can share their requirements in a structured way. The end-to-end workflow module helps end customers in tracking their work, ensuring on-time and high-quality deliveries.

Scalenut is founded in August 2020 and started operations in October 2020 by Co-Founders; Mayank Jain, Gaurav Goyal & Saurabh Wadhwan.

Today is an era of managed marketplaces. Scalenut has seen various players disrupting industries like home service, ticketing, good delivery, and many more through a fully managed full-stack approach. The same has not happened in freelancing services yet.

India serving global demand is also limited to IT but has not expanded to other categories. We aim to bridge that gap and build an ‘India serves the world’ business.

About Mayank Jain

Mayank Jain is the Co-Founder of Scalenut. At Scalenut he looks at sales & marketing, investor relations, HR & finance operations. Before Scalenut, he was the CEO at Selltm, a fully-owned subsidiary of Snapdeal. At Snapdeal, Mayank spent over 7 years building and leading various functions. During his tenure with Snapdeal, he built Supplier Ecosystem and led Supply Chain and Customer Experience functions. Before Snapdeal, Mayank was a part of two start-ups, where he played a pivotal role in Business Development and Operations. He started his career with ITC, where he spent 3 years across operations and engineering functions. Mayank holds B-Tech and M-Tech degrees from IIT Kanpur.